William James Russell Watton (born 28 March 1954), known asRussell Watton, is a Northern IrishUlster loyalist, politician and community activist, serving as leader of theProgressive Unionist Party (PUP) since 2023, and aCauseway Coast and Glens Borough Councillor for theColeraine DEA since2014.He was also PUP deputy leader between 2022 and 2023.^[3]

Watton joined theUlster Volunteer Force (UVF) in the 1970s, and was believed to be the commander of the UVF unit inColeraine.^[4] He was involved in the bombing of the Salmon Leap Restaurant, which caused the deaths of several of Watton's UVF comrades.^[5]

He received three life sentences in 1977, and was imprisoned until his release in 1989.^[6]

At the2005 local elections, Watton ran as anindependent candidate, for theCentral District, in theColeraine Authority.^[7]While out campaigning in the predominantlynationalist Somerset Drive area, Watton and his campaign team were threatened by a group of activists after putting up posters.^[8]On the incident, Watton said: “One of them had a knife in his hand and he confronted me with it. I was forced to use a piece of wood which these scumbags had thrown and I was able to disarm the man to defend myself and he ran off."^[9]In total, he polled 380 first-preference votes, and was eliminated on the sixth count.^[10][11]

Watton stood again in the district at the2011 local elections, taking 342 first-preferences.^[12]

By the2014 local elections, Watton was a member of theProgressive Unionist Party (PUP), standing for them in the successorCauseway Coast and Glens Authority.^[13]He topped the poll in theColeraine District, and received 11.8% of first-preferences.^[14][15][16]

Watton stood in theEast Londonderry constituency at the2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election, where he took 1,356 first-preference votes (3.9%).^[17]At the2017 Assembly election, Watton was eliminated on the third stage of counting, having polled 879 first-preferences (2.1%).^[18]

At theMay 2019 Council election, Watton was once again the first candidate to be elected in Coleraine, with an increased total of 1,325 first-preferences.^[19][20][21]Shortly after the election, he caused controversy when he told the Coleraine Chronicle that he had "no regrets" over his involvement with the UVF during the Troubles.^[22][23]

In March 2020, Watton voted against aSinn Fein motion, which would have seen the council fly theRainbow flag during Foyle Pride. He said: "If they get putting up an LGBT flag, then we will be putting up flags for Polish independence or homelessness. When do they stop?"^[24]The motion was ultimately unsuccessful.^[25][26]

During the2022 Assembly election, Watton reported intimidation by 'known drug dealers,' including the defacement of one of his election posters with an image of a balaclava.^[27] In the election, he took 933 first-preference votes (2.1%), and was eliminated on the third count.^[28][29][30]

Watton was the second candidate to be returned in the district at theMay 2023 local elections, taking a decreased first-preference share of 13.7%.^[31][32]Notably, he became the only elected representative for the PUP, following the defeat of their leader,Billy Hutchinson,in Belfast.^[33][34]

Following the local election results, Hutchinson stood down as leader, with Watton being announced as his successor on 14 June 2023.^[35][36][37]

• 1954 births
• Living people
• Leaders of political parties in Northern Ireland
• Ulster Volunteer Force members
• Ulster loyalists imprisoned on terrorism charges

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Date of birth not in Wikidata